Hazleton is a city in
Luzerne County- Demographics :As of the 2010 census, the county was 90.7% White, 3.4% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 3.3% were of some other race, and 1.5% were two or more races. 6.7% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry...
,
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census, an increase of 8.6% from the 2000 census count
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/profile/PA.
Greater Hazleton
The City of Hazleton and its surrounding communities are collectively known as Greater Hazleton. Greater Hazleton encompasses an area located within three counties: southern
Luzerne County- Demographics :As of the 2010 census, the county was 90.7% White, 3.4% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 3.3% were of some other race, and 1.5% were two or more races. 6.7% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry...
, northern
Schuylkill County-Notable people:*Boxing heavyweight great Muhammad Ali had his training camp in Deer Lake.*Charles Justin Bailey, commanding general of the 81st Division in World War I, was born in Tamaqua on June 21, 1859....
, and northern
Carbon CountyAs of the census of 2000, there were 58,802 people, 23,701 households, and 16,424 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile . There were 30,492 housing units at an average density of 80 per square mile...
. The population of Greater Hazleton was 80,351 at the 2000 census. Greater Hazleton includes the City of Hazleton; the boroughs of
Beaver MeadowsBeaver Meadows is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 968 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Beaver Meadows is located at ....
,
ConynghamConyngham is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,958 at the 2000 census.- History :The Lehigh-Susquehanna Turnpike traveled through the middle of modern-day Main Street in Conyngham and at least one of the tollgates was situated near the village...
, Drifton,
FreelandFreeland, originally called Birbeckville after founder Joseph Birkbeck, then South Heberton, is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, south of Wilkes-Barre, and 10 miles northeast of Hazleton in an agricultural region. Freeland was officially incorporated as a borough on September 11, 1876....
,
JeddoJeddo is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 98 at the 2010 census. It was named after a Japanese port to which coal was exported by the Hazleton Coal Company.-Geography:Jeddo is located at ....
,
McAdooMcAdoo is a borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States, south of Hazleton and 7 miles north of Tamaqua. McAdoo contains the picturesque Silver Brook Meadow. In the past, anthracite coal mining and a shirt factory, The McAdoo Manufacturing Company, provided gainful employment to the...
,
TamaquaTamaqua is a borough in eastern Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The borough, located in Northeastern Pennsylvania's Coal Region, had a population of 7,107 as of the 2010 U.S...
,
WeatherlyWeatherly a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, located northwest of Jim Thorpe and northwest of Allentown. Early in the twentieth century, there were silk mills, foundries, a candy factory, a fabricating plant, and a cigar factory. In 1900 2,471 people lived there, and in 1910, the...
,
West HazletonWest Hazleton, founded by Conrad Horn, is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, south of Wilkes Barre. In 1900, 2,516 people lived here; in 1910, 4,715 people lived here. The population was 4,594 at the 2010 census...
,
White HavenWhite Haven is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. White Haven was created in 1824 by industrialist Josiah White. It is located along the Lehigh River which connects White Haven to Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. The population was 1,182 at the 2000 census...
; the townships of
Black CreekBlack Creek Township is a township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,132 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of...
,
ButlerButler Township is a township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,166 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. It is drained by the Nescopeck Creek...
, Klein
East UnionEast Union Township is a township in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,419 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
,
FosterFoster Township is a township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,323 at the 2000 census. It was first settled in 1824 by John Lines and incorporated as a township in 1855.-Geography:...
,
HazleHazle Township is a township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 9,000 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. It is drained by the Susquehanna River...
,
RushRush Township is a township in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,957 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 23.9 square miles , of which, 22.9 square miles of it is land and...
SugarloafSugarloaf Township is a township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,652 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 21.9 square miles , of which, 21.9 square miles of it is land and...
; and the towns, villages, or
CDPsA census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
of Audenried, Coxes Villages, Drums, Ebervale, Eckley, Fern Glen, Haddock, Harleigh, Harwood Mines, Hazle Brook, Highland, Hollywood,
Hometown, Hudsondale, Japan, Jeansville, Junedale, Keylares, Kis-Lyn, Lattimer Mines, Milnesville, Nuremberg, Oneida, Pardeesville, Quakake, St. Johns, Sandy Run, Stockton, Sybertsville, Ringtown, Sheppton,
TomhickenTomhicken is an unincorporated community in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. Tomhicken is notable for being a junction point between the Lehigh Valley Railroad's Tomhicken Branch and the Pennsylvania Rail Road's Catawissa Branch. Tomhicken is part of the Greater Hazleton region....
,Tresckow, Upper Lehigh, Weston, and
Zion Grove.
Sugarloaf Massacre
During the height of the
American RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
in the summer of 1780, British sympathizers, known as Tories, concentrated from New York's
Mohawk ValleyThe Mohawk Valley region of the U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains....
, began attacking
patriotPatriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
outposts located along the
Susquehanna RiverThe Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
Valley in Northeast
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Because of the reports of
ToryToryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
activity in the region, Captain Daniel Klader and a
platoonA platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
of 40 to 50 men from
Northampton CountyAs of the 2010 census, the county was 86.3% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.2% were two or more races, and 3.8% were some other race. 10.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.As of the census of...
were sent to investigate. They traveled north from the
Lehigh ValleyThe Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
along a path known as "Warrior's Trail," which is present-day
State Route 93Pennsylvania Route 93 is a long state route located in northern Pennsylvania. The northern terminus of the route is at Pennsylvania Route 487 in Orangeville. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 209 east of Nesquehoning...
, since this route connects the
Lehigh RiverThe Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River, is a river located in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. Part of the Lehigh, along with a number of its tributaries, is designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources...
in
Jim ThorpeJim Thorpe is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 4,804 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carbon County. The town has been called the "Switzerland of America" due to the picturesque scenery, mountainous location, and architecture; as well as the "Gateway to...
(formerly known as Mauch Chunk) to the
Susquehanna RiverThe Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
in
BerwickBerwick is a borough in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, 22.6 miles southwest of Wilkes Barre. Berwick is one of two principal cities of the Bloomsburg–Berwick Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Columbia and Montour counties and had a combined population of 82,387...
.
Heading north, Captain Klader's men made it as far north as present-day
ConynghamConyngham is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,958 at the 2000 census.- History :The Lehigh-Susquehanna Turnpike traveled through the middle of modern-day Main Street in Conyngham and at least one of the tollgates was situated near the village...
when they were ambushed by members of the Seneca tribe and
ToryToryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
militiamen. In all, 18 men were killed on September 11, 1780 in what was to become the Sugarloaf Massacre.
The Moravians, a
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denominationA religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
, had been using "Warrior's Trail" since the early 18th century after the Moravian
missionaryA missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
Nicolaus Ludwig ZinzendorfNikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf, Imperial Count of Zinzendorf and Pottendorf, , German religious and social reformer and bishop of the Moravian Church, was born at Dresden....
first used it to reach the
Wyoming ValleyWyoming Valley is a region of northeastern Pennsylvania. As a metropolitan area, it is also known as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, after its principal cities, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre....
. This particular stretch of "Warrior's Trail" had an abundance of
hazelThe hazels are a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins...
trees. Though the Moravians called the region "St. Anthony's Wilderness", it eventually became known as "Hazel Swamp," a name which had been used previously by the Indians.
The Moravian missionaries were sent from their settlements near
BethlehemBethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
to the site of the Sugarloaf Massacre to bury the dead soldiers. Because of the aesthetic natural beauty of the Conyngham Valley, some Moravians decided to stay and in 1782, built a settlement, St. Johns, along the Nescopeck Creek, which is near the present-day intersection of
Interstates 80Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
and
81Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
.
Jacob Drumheller's Stage Stand
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the "Warrior Trail" was widened and became the Berwick Turnpike. Later, a road was built to connect
Wilkes-BarreWilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
to
McKeansburgMcKeansburg is a census-designated place in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 155 at the 2000 census.-Geography:McKeansburg is located at ....
. This road intersected with the Berwick Turnpike at what is present-day Broad and Vine Streets, in downtown Hazleton. An
entrepreneurAn entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
named Jacob Drumheller decided that this intersection was the perfect location for a rest-stop, so in 1809, he built the first building in what would be later known as Hazleton. Though a few buildings and houses began to be built nearby, the area remained a dense wilderness for about 20 more years. Aside from small-scale
loggingLogging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
, the area offered little else.
Discovery of coal
Railroad developers from Philadelphia became interested in the Hazleton area once previous rumors were validated that in 1818 anthracite
coalCoal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
deposits had been discovered in near-by Beaver Meadows by prospectors Nathaniel Beach and
Tench CoxeTench Coxe was an American political economist and a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress in 1788-1789. He wrote under the pseudonym "A Pennsylvanian".-Biography:...
.
A young
engineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
from
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
named Ariovistus "Ario" Pardee was hired to survey the
topographyTopography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
of Beaver Meadows and report the practicality of extending a railroad from the Lehigh River Canal in Jim Thorpe to Beaver Meadows. Pardee, knowing that the area of Beaver Meadows was already controlled by Coxe and Beach, bought many acres of the land in present-day Hazleton. The investment proved to be extraordinarily lucrative. The land contained part of a massive anthracite coal field. Pardee will be forever known as the founding father of Hazleton.
Pardee incorporated the Hazleton Coal Company in 1836, the same year that the rail link to the
Lehigh ValleyThe Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
market was about to be completed.
The Hazleton Coal Company built the first school on Church Street, where Hazleton City Hall is now located. Pardee also built the first church in Hazleton located at Church and Broad Streets. The Pardee mansion was built on the northern block of Broad Street, between present-day Church and Laurel Streets.
The coal industry attracted many immigrants for labour, mostly German and Irish in the 1840s and 1850s, and mostly Italian, Polish, Rusyn, Lithuanian, and Slovak in the 1860s to 1920s.
The coal mined in Hazleton helped to establish the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a world industrial power, primarily fueling the massive blast furnaces at the
Bethlehem Steel CorporationThe Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
.
"Patch Towns"
Many small company towns, often referred to by locals as "patch towns," surrounded Hazleton and were built by coal companies to provide housing for the miners and their families. The patch towns included:
- Beaver Meadows
Beaver Meadows is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 968 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Beaver Meadows is located at ....
, coal was discovered here
- Stockton, founded by John Stockton
- Jeansville, founded by James Milens
- Milnesville, founded by James Milens
- Tresckow
Tresckow, formerly known as Dutchtown, is a census-designated place in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 964 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Tresckow is located at ....
, formerly known as Dutchtown
- Junedale, formerly known as Colraine
- Freeland
Freeland, originally called Birbeckville after founder Joseph Birkbeck, then South Heberton, is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, south of Wilkes-Barre, and 10 miles northeast of Hazleton in an agricultural region. Freeland was officially incorporated as a borough on September 11, 1876....
, originally Birbeckville after founder Joseph Birbeck, then South Heberton
- McAdoo
McAdoo is a borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States, south of Hazleton and 7 miles north of Tamaqua. McAdoo contains the picturesque Silver Brook Meadow. In the past, anthracite coal mining and a shirt factory, The McAdoo Manufacturing Company, provided gainful employment to the...
, originally called Pleasant Hill, then Saylors Hill
- West Hazleton
West Hazleton, founded by Conrad Horn, is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, south of Wilkes Barre. In 1900, 2,516 people lived here; in 1910, 4,715 people lived here. The population was 4,594 at the 2010 census...
, founded by Conrad Horn
- Eckley, founded by Eckley B. Coxe
- Jeddo
Jeddo is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 98 at the 2010 census. It was named after a Japanese port to which coal was exported by the Hazleton Coal Company.-Geography:Jeddo is located at ....
, named after a Japanese port in which coal was exported to by the Hazleton Coal Company
- Hollywood, area now part of Hazleton, named before Hollywood, California.
- Weatherly
Weatherly a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, located northwest of Jim Thorpe and northwest of Allentown. Early in the twentieth century, there were silk mills, foundries, a candy factory, a fabricating plant, and a cigar factory. In 1900 2,471 people lived there, and in 1910, the...
, small borough outside of Hazleton
Sudden prosperity and growth
Hazleton was incorporated as a
boroughIn the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
on January 5, 1857. Its intended name was supposed to be spelled "Hazelton" but a clerk misspelled the name during incorporation, and the name "Hazleton" has been used ever since. The borough's first fire company, the Pioneer Fire Company, was organized in 1867 by soldiers returning from the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Hazleton was incorporated as a city on December 4, 1891. The population then was estimated to be around 14,000 people.
In 1891, Hazleton became the third city in the United States to establish a city-wide electric grid.
On September 10, 1897, the
Lattimer MassacreThe Lattimer massacre was the violent deaths of 19 unarmed striking immigrant anthracite coal miners at the Lattimer mine near Hazleton, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 1897. The miners, mostly of Polish, Slovak, Lithuanian and German ethnicity, were shot and killed by a Luzerne County sheriff's...
occurred near Hazleton.
Changing times and fuels
After World War II, the demand for coal began to decline as cleaner, more efficient fuels were being used. Readily available, cheap energy helped open the door for manufacturing. The Duplan
SilkSilk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
Corporation opened and became the world's largest silk mill. The garment industry thrived, some operations serving as a front for mafia boss
Albert AnastasiaAlbert Anastasia was boss of what is now called the Gambino crime family, one of New York City's Five Families, from 1951-1957. He also ran a gang of contract killers called Murder Inc. which enforced the decisions of the Commission, the ruling council of the American Mafia...
.
In 1947, Autolite Corporation was looking to expand operations in the East, and had been looking into Hazleton. Officials from Autolite came to the area to survey it and in their report, they noted Hazleton is a "mountain wilderness" with no major water route, rail route, trucking route, or airport. In response, several area leaders gathered to address these problems.
CANDO (Community Area New Development Organization) was formally organized in 1956 by founder Dr. Edgar L. Dessen. Their main goal was to raise money, through their "Dime A Week" campaign, in which area residents were encouraged to put a dime on their sidewalk each week to be collected by CANDO. The company raised over $250,000 and were able to purchase over 500 acres (2 km²) of land, which was converted into an industrial park. Because of CANDO's efforts, Hazleton was given the
All-America City AwardThe All-America City Award is given by the National Civic League annually to ten cities in the United States.The oldest community recognition program in the nation, the award recognizes communities whose citizens work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve uncommon...
. Hazleton's economy is now based largely on manufacturing and shipping, facilitated by the relative closeness to
Interstates 80Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
and
81Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
.
An article published in December 2002 by
U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
was entitled "Letter from Pennsylvania: A town in need of a tomorrow" which reported Hazleton's shortcomings to the world. It was criticized by local politicians and business leaders alike, and again prompted local leaders to address the problems facing the community.
Recent recovery attempts
Many local leaders looked for solutions to help change the appearance and perceptions of Hazleton. Similar attempts had been made in the 1980s to try to help clean up and revitalize the image of Downtown Hazleton. Since the local economy had declined, the big department stores closed their doors and left behind a bleak and dreary downtown. Some old buildings had been saved by recent restoration efforts, but still many empty storefronts remain.
In 2005, Mayor Louis Barletta and a private firm introduced a controversial plan to import millions of tons of sediment dredged from the New Jersey and New York harbors and surrounding rivers. The plan calls for the river dredge to be used as fill for the many mine craters left behind from abandoned strip-mining operations. After the mines are filled and the land restored, the plan calls for a 20,000-seat open-air amphitheater. It was the hope of the mayor and the developers that the amphitheater would give people a reason to visit Hazleton and that the project would stimulate the local economy. The plan drew many opponents because of the already-high cancer rate in the region. Many felt capping the mines was an unnecessary risk, because many had questions about pollutants that may be found in the dredge.
Perhaps the most substantial attempt to bring Hazleton's economy back has been a proposed cargo airport to be built 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Hazleton near the Humboldt Industrial Park and Eagle Rock Resort. The planners of the project were expecting $17 billion to be injected into the local economy, as well as 4,500 direct airport jobs, and as many 160,000 indirect jobs. The planners were hoping the airport would have been able to replace the coal industry, but due to the lack of interest by major carriers, the enormous contribution required from public taxpayer funds, the global Great Recession, and the Luzerne County judicial corruption scandal involving a key player in the proposal, the project has lost the support of many local leaders and has been put on hold indefinitely. So instead they invested over $4 million into an oversized bus station. The "Church Street Station" sits south of Broad on Church St.
Sanctions against illegal immigrants
In 2006, Hazleton gained national attention as
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
mayor
Lou BarlettaLouis J. Barletta is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He is the former Mayor of Hazleton, known for his vocal opposition to illegal immigration and his efforts to keep illegal immigrants out of the city.-Early life, education, and business career:Barletta was...
and council members passed the Illegal Immigration Relief Act. This
ordinanceA local ordinance is a law usually found in a municipal code.-United States:In the United States, these laws are enforced locally in addition to state law and federal law.-Japan:...
was instituted to discourage hiring or renting to illegal immigrants. Initially, an administrative fine on landlords for $1000 per illegal immigrant rented to and a loss of permits for non-compliance has been passed. Leaders from other communities across the United States have requested information on this proposal for use in their own municipalities. Another act passed concurrently made
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
the
official languageAn official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
of Hazleton.
The ordinance has been criticized as illegal and unconstitutional. A number of
HispanicHispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
residents (both legal and illegal) filed suit to strike down the law, claiming it violates the
Supremacy ClauseArticle VI, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution, known as the Supremacy Clause, establishes the U.S. Constitution, U.S. Treaties, and Federal Statutes as "the supreme law of the land." The text decrees these to be the highest form of law in the U.S...
of the U.S. Constitution as well as the
FirstThe First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. A copy of the court complaint is available from the Pennsylvania
ACLUThe American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
. In an agreement, announced on September 1, with the ACLU, the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Community Justice Project, Hazleton will not enforce the ordinance . In response to the lawsuits the city of Hazleton has retained the counsel of the former head of immigration in the Department of Justice.
Mayor Lou Barletta of Hazleton estimates that as "many as half" of the estimated 10,000 Hispanics who were living in Hazleton left Hazleton when the ordinance was passed. Reportedly, several shops in the city's Hispanic business district have closed, with others struggling to remain open. The issue was covered by the television program
60 Minutes60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
in 2006 and the
Fox News show The
O'Reilly Factor in March 2007.
The local Chamber of Commerce claims that the influx of both legal and illegal immigrants revitalized a dying coal town, turning a dismal commercial strip on Hazleton's Wyoming Street into a row of shops. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed an amicus brief in support of the ACLU's case. The mayor said that murders and other violent crimes had increased dramatically over the prior 10 years. However, evidence presented in court showed Hazleton's crime rate actually declined at the same time its Hispanic population was increasing.
On July 26, 2007 a federal judge, James Munley, struck down Hazleton's Illegal Immigration Relief Act as an unconstitutional ordinance pre-empted by federal law. The injunction stirred up a national controversy. Mayor Barletta expressed his confidence that the injunction will be overturned by the appellate court. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld most aspects of Munley's injunction in a 144-page opinion handed down on Sept. 9, 2010.
Geography
Hazleton is located at 40°57′32"N 75°58′28"W (40.958834, -75.974546).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 6 square miles (15.5 km²), all of it land.
Hazleton is located 12 miles (19.3 km) north of
TamaquaTamaqua is a borough in eastern Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The borough, located in Northeastern Pennsylvania's Coal Region, had a population of 7,107 as of the 2010 U.S...
and 25 miles (40.2 km) south of Wilkes-Barre. Located in Pennsylvania's ridge and valley section on a plateau named Spring Mountain, Hazleton's highest elevation is 1886 feet above sea level, one of the highest incorporated cities east of the
Mississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
and one of the highest in Pennsylvania. It straddles the divide between the
DelawareThe Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
and
Susquehanna RiverThe Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
watersheds.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, the city was 69.4% White, 4.0% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.8% Asian, and 3.4% were two or more races. 37.3% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry, which is up from just 4.9% in 2000
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/profile/PA.
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 23,329 people, 10,281 households, and 6,004 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,904.6 people per square mile (1,508.8/km²). There were 11,556 housing units at an average density of 1,934.1 per square mile (747.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.70% White, 0.82% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.76% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.85% of the population ).
According to the 2000 census, the top ten ancestries in the city are:
ItalianAn Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
(32.1%),
PolishA Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
(14.1%),
GermanGerman Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
(13.9%),
IrishIrish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
(13.2%),
SlovakSlovak Americans are Americans of Slovak descent. In the 1990 Census Slovak Americans made up the second-largest portion of Slavic ethnic groups. There are currently about 790,000 people of Slovak descent living in the United States. -Eighteenth century:...
(11.4%), Dutch (5.5%),
EnglishEnglish Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
(3.4%),
AmericanAmerican ethnicity differs from United States nationality. An individual's nationality is American if he or she is a national of the United States of America. The circumstances under which a person is ethnically American are less clear....
(2.8%),
GreekGreek Americans are Americans of Greek descent also described as Hellenic descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States, while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim to be of Greek descent...
(2.2%), and Ukrainian (1.5%).
There were 10,281 households out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,082, and the median income for a family was $37,093. Males had a median income of $31,144 versus $20,926 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,270. About 10.4% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.4% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
All of Hazleton's major mining and garment industries have disappeared over the past 50 years. Through the efforts of CANDO and a practical highway infrastructure, Hazleton has become home to many industrial parks, Office Max,
Simmons Bedding CompanySimmons Bedding Company is a major manufacturer of mattresses and related bedding products. The company is founded in 1870. Simmons' flagship brand is Beautyrest, and it is one of the oldest companies of this type in the USA. According to a Simmons press release, net sales for 2005 were $855...
,
MichaelsMichaels is an arts and crafts retail chain. It currently operates more than 1040 Michaels Arts and Crafts Stores located in 49 U.S. states and in Canada. The company owns and operates the Aaron Brothers retail chain which consists of more than 140 stores...
,
Network SolutionsNetwork Solutions, LLC is a technology company founded in 1979. The domain name registration business has become the most important division of the company. As of January 2009, Network Solutions managed more than 6.6 million domain names.-History:...
,
AutoZoneAutoZone is a retailer and distributor of aftermarket automotive parts and accessories. based in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:Originally a division of Memphis-based wholesale grocer Malone & Hyde, the company went under the name Auto Shack...
,
General MillsGeneral Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
, WEIR Minerals, EB Brands and
Amazon.comAmazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
are just some of the large companies with distribution, manufacturing, or logistic operations in Hazleton.
16.7% of Residents had an income below the poverty level as compared to a statewide average of 12.5% in 2009
Hazleton, Pennsylvania (PA) Poverty Rate Data
Notable people
- Hubie Brown
Hubert Jude "Hubie" Brown is a retired American basketball coach and a current television analyst. Brown is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, the honors being separated by 26 years...
, former basketball coach and a current television analyst
- Jack Curcio, former CEO Mack Trucks
Mack Trucks is an American truck-manufacturing company and a former manufacturer of buses and trolley buses. A wholly owned subsidiary of Renault Véhicules Industriels since 1990, Mack Trucks is currently a subsidiary of AB Volvo. The company's headquarters are located in Greensboro, North Carolina...
- Sarah Knauss
Sarah DeRemer Knauss was an American supercentenarian considered the world's oldest living person by Guinness World Records from April 16, 1998, the date of the death of 117-year-old Canadian Marie-Louise Meilleur, until her own death...
, lived to age 119
- Norm Larker
Norman Howard John Larker was a first baseman/outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1958 through 1963. Listed at 6' 0", 185 lbs., Larker batted and threw left-handed. He was born in Beaver Meadows, Pennsylvania.Larker played in the minor leagues even before 1950...
(Beaver MeadowsBeaver Meadows is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 968 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Beaver Meadows is located at ....
), National League All Star player for the LA Dodgers
- Sherrie Levine
Sherrie Levine is an American photographer and appropriation artist.-Education:Levine received her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1969. In 1973, she earned an M.F.A. from the same institution....
, an American photographer and appropriation artist
- Joe Maddon
Joseph John Maddon is the Major League Baseball manager for the Tampa Bay Rays.He previously served as interim manager of the Anaheim Angels in both 1996 and 1999. He was also a long-time bench coach for the team.-Early life and career:Maddon attended Lafayette College, where he played baseball...
, manager of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays
- Tom Matchick
John Thomas Matchick is a former professional baseball player. He was a utility infielder over parts of 6 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles. Matchick was a member of the 1968 World Series champion Tigers...
, MLB player for the Detroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Kansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
, Milwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, and the Baltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
- Judith Nathan
Judi Ann "Judith" Stish Giuliani is a registered nurse, fundraiser for charitable organizations, former Managing Director of Changing Our World, founding board member of the Twin Towers Fund, and the wife of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani...
, wife of former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
- Jack Palance
Jack Palance , was an American actor. During half a century of film and television appearances, Palance was nominated for three Academy Awards, all as Best Actor in a Supporting Role, winning in 1991 for his role in City Slickers.-Early life:Palance, one of five children, was born Volodymyr...
(Hazle Township), Oscar-winning actor
- John Thomas Sweeney, murderer of Dominique Dunne
Dominique Ellen Dunne was an American actress.Dunne made appearances in several made for television movies, television series, and films, and played a supporting role as the oldest daughter, Dana Freeling, in the 1982 film Poltergeist...
, was born and raised in Hazleton
- Bob Tucker
Robert Louis "Bob" Tucker is a former professional American football player in the National Football League. A 6'3", 230 lbs. tight end from Bloomsburg University, Tucker played for 11 seasons from 1970-1980 for the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings...
, NFL Tight End with the New York Giants
- Jack (the "Dandy") Parisi Mafia Hitman Murder, Inc.
Murder, Inc. was the name given by the press to organized crime groups in the 1920s through the 1940s that resulted in hundreds of murders on behalf of the American Mafia and Jewish Mafia groups who together formed the early organized crime groups in New York and...
- Lou Barletta
Louis J. Barletta is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He is the former Mayor of Hazleton, known for his vocal opposition to illegal immigration and his efforts to keep illegal immigrants out of the city.-Early life, education, and business career:Barletta was...
Congressman
Hazleton in popular culture
- In 1968, the major motion picture The Molly Maguires
The Molly Maguires is a 1970 American film based on a novel by Arthur H. Lewis that was directed by Martin Ritt. It stars Richard Harris and Sean Connery....
was filmed in Eckley, Pennsylvania, about 3 miles (4.8 km) from Hazleton. Portions of the film were also shot in Jim Thorpe, PennsylvaniaJim Thorpe is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 4,804 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carbon County. The town has been called the "Switzerland of America" due to the picturesque scenery, mountainous location, and architecture; as well as the "Gateway to...
.
- In 1997, the Pennsylvania rock band Fuel
Fuel is an American rock band formed by guitarist/songwriter Carl Bell and bassist Jeff Abercrombie in 1989. Originally known as Small the Joy, they changed the group's name to Fuel sometime in 1994...
released an EPAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
titled "HazletonHazleton by Fuel was released in 1998. The EP was sold at some 1997 shows. It was recorded at C&C in Hazleton, PA.- Personnel :* Brett Scallions - vocals, rhythm guitar* Carl Bell - lead guitar* Jeff Abercrombie - bass guitar* Jody Abbot - drums...
". The EP was so named because it was recorded at C & C Recording Studio in Hazleton.
- Parts of the film Gypsy 83
Gypsy 83 is a 2001 drama film, written and directed by Todd Stephens, about two young goths, Gypsy and Clive, who travel to New York for an annual festival celebrating their idol, Stevie Nicks.-Plot:...
(2001) were shot in and around Hazleton. In an assumed nod to the area, a character in the movie was named "Hazleton".
- The second season opening episode of Bethenny Ever After
Bethenny Ever After..., titled Bethenny Getting Married? in the first season, is an American reality television program on the Bravo cable TV network. It is a spin-off of the Bravo series The Real Housewives of New York City from the The Real Housewives of... franchise...
was filmed in part in Hazleton.
Newspapers
- The Standard-Speaker, daily newspaper, name merged from the Standard Sentinel (morning paper) and Plain Speaker (evening paper)
- Visión Hispana, Spanish newspaper
Television
- Local News 13
Sam-Son Productions Television , was created and is owned by Sam-Son Productions, Inc. in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.SSPTV runs on Service Electric Cablevision channel 13 in the Hazleton Area and on Comcast cable channel 7 in the Pottsville area. SSPTV also broadcasts its programming 24/7 via its...
(Public-access televisionPublic-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
) http://ssptv.com/ - Website
- WYLN-35
WYLN-LP is a Class-A television station in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, broadcasting locally as an America One affiliate on channel 35. It went on the air in 1989 as W35AT, and changed to the current WYLN-LP in 1996. It became the first affiliate of The WB in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton market...
Broadcast Channel 35 and Service Electric Cablevision cable channel 7 - http://www.wylntv.com/ - Website
History of local education
- The first school was built in the 1830s by the Hazleton Coal Company. It was a private elementary school at the corner of Church and Green Streets, the present-day site of Hazleton City Hall.
- Hazleton High School, the first high school, was built in 1875 at Pine and Hemlock Streets, the present-day site of the Pine Street Playground.
- Hazleton Senior High School, the Mountaineers, was built at 9th and Wyoming Streets, in 1926.
- Hazle Township High School, the Shippers
- Foster Township High School, the Falcons
- McAdoo High School, the Maroons
- Freeland High School, the Whippets
- Black Creek Township High School, the Rockets
- West Hazleton High School, the Wildcats
- Bishop Hafey High School
Bishop Hafey High School was a Roman Catholic high school of the Diocese of Scranton, located in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. By the order of Bishop Joseph F. Martino, the high school was closed in June of 2007....
, the Vikings, was Hazleton's only Roman Catholic High School. It was opened in 1971 and closed in 2007.
Hazleton Area School District
Between 1966 and 1992, the
Hazleton Area School DistrictThe Hazleton Area School District is a public school district in Pennsylvania, stretching over portions of Luzerne, Schuylkill, and Carbon Counties...
closed all area high schools except Hazleton, Freeland, and West Hazleton. The Hazleton Area High School opened in 1992, which resulted in the complete consolidation of all remaining area high schools.
The Hazleton Area School District encompasses 300 square miles (777 km²), which is one of the largest school districts in the state. It includes 1 city, 6 boroughs, 9 townships, (16 municipalities) and 3 counties. Enrollment is currently over 10,000 students. In 2004, the Hazleton Area High School was the 11th largest high school in the state.
The schools of the Hazleton Area School District are:
- Arthur Street Elementary School
- Drums Elementary / Middle School
- Freeland Elementary / Middle School
- Hazleton Elementary / Middle School
- Heights-Terrace Elementary / Middle School
- McAdoo-Kelayres Elementary School
- Valley Elementary / Middle School
- West Hazleton Elementary / Middle School
- Hazleton Area High School
- 9th Grade Center
- Hazleton Area Career Center
Current Hazleton Area School Board directors are:
- Clarence John, President
- Anthony Bonomo, Vice-President
- Dr. Robert Childs
- Brian Earley
- Steve Hahn
- Robert Mehalick
- Paulette Platukis
- Jack Shema
- Carmella Yenkevich
Private schools
Colleges and universities
- Penn State Hazleton
Penn State Hazleton is a commonwealth campus of the Pennsylvania State University. It is located in Sugarloaf Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, near the junction of Interstates 80 and 81...
- Lackawanna College
Lackawanna College is a college in Scranton, Pennsylvania with satellite centers in the towns of Hazleton, Hawley, Towanda, and New Milford....
- Luzerne County Community College
Luzerne County Community College, also known as LCCC, is a 2-year community college located in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. LCCC offers over 100 academic, technical, and career programs. It has an open admissions policy for most programs and has over 25,000 graduates...
- McCann School of Business and Technology
McCann School of Business and Technology is a private for-profit junior technical college, located in northeastern and north-central Pennsylvania, USA. The school maintains campuses in Hazleton, Scranton, Sunbury, and Pottsville.-External links:*...
City Council
- James Perry, President
- Karin Cabell, Vice President
- Jack Mundie
- Evelyn Graham
- Christopher Puza
Air transit
Hazleton's commercial passenger airport is the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International AirportWilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is an airport located in Pittston Township, Pennsylvania, near the border of Luzerne County and Lackawanna County, halfway between the cities of Wilkes-Barre and Scranton...
located in
Avoca, PennsylvaniaAvoca is a borough within the Greater Pittston area of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, ten miles northeast of Wilkes Barre and nine miles southwest of Scranton. The population was 2,851 at the 2000 census...
. The
Lehigh Valley International AirportLehigh Valley International Airport , formerly Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton International Airport, is a public airport in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania....
also serves Greater Hazleton. The
Hazleton Municipal AirportHazleton Municipal Airport is a public use airport in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is owned by the City of Hazleton and located two nautical miles northwest of its central business district....
is the general aviation airport for the city.
Public transportation
Public transportation is provided by the Hazleton Public Transit, a service of the City of Hazleton's Department of Public Services. HPT operates nine routes throughout the city and neighboring communities.
Rail
While Hazleton currently has no passenger rail service, it is a major regional center for commercial rail traffic, operated by
Norfolk Southern RailwayThe Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
.
Roads
Three interstate highways run through the Hazleton area, with associated exits to the city.
- Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an long north–south Interstate Highway, stretching from Dandridge, Tennessee to Fisher's Landing, New York at the US/Canadian border...
, which runs from Dandridge, TennesseeDandridge is a town in Jefferson County, Tennessee, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County. It is part of the Morristown, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area....
in the south, to Wellesley IslandWellesley Island in Jefferson County, New York, USA is partially in the Town of Orleans and partially in the Town of Alexandria.-Geography:...
, NYNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the north.
- Interstate 80
The transcontinental Interstate 80 is designated across northern Pennsylvania as the Keystone Shortway, officially the Z.H. Confair Memorial Highway. This route was built mainly along a completely new alignment, not paralleling any earlier U.S. Routes, as a shortcut to the tolled Pennsylvania...
, which runs from San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
in the west, to Fort Lee, New JerseyFort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...
in the east.
- Interstate 476
Interstate 476 is a auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania designated between Interstate 95 near Chester and Interstate 81 near Scranton, serving as the primary north–south Interstate corridor through eastern Pennsylvania....
, the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania TurnpikeThe Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway system operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. The three sections of the turnpike system total . The main section extends from Ohio to New Jersey and is long...
, which runs from ChesterChester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
to Clarks SummitClarks Summit is a borough in Lackawanna County northwest of Scranton in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,116 at the 2010 census. It is also the northern terminus of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, I-476.-History:...
near Scranton.
There are five major inbound roads to Hazleton:
Church StreetPennsylvania Route 309 is a major highway which runs for 134 miles through Pennsylvania in the United States. It connects Philadelphia and its northern suburbs to Allentown, Hazleton, and Wilkes-Barre. A limited-access highway portion of PA 309 in the Wilkes-Barre area is known as the North...
,
Broad StreetPennsylvania Route 93 is a long state route located in northern Pennsylvania. The northern terminus of the route is at Pennsylvania Route 487 in Orangeville. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 209 east of Nesquehoning...
,
CANDO ExpresswayPennsylvania Route 924 is a long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The highway runs from Pennsylvania Route 61 in Frackville to Pennsylvania Route 309 in Hazleton.-Route description:...
,
Greater Hazleton Chamber Of Commerce BeltwayPennsylvania Route 424 is a 4 mile long state highway located in north-central Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at Interstate 81 exit 141 in Hazle Township. The eastern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 93 on the southeastern edge of Hazleton...
,
15th StreetPennsylvania Route 924 is a long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The highway runs from Pennsylvania Route 61 in Frackville to Pennsylvania Route 309 in Hazleton.-Route description:...
, and
22nd StreetPennsylvania Route 940 is a long Pennsylvania highway located in the sparsely-developed Poconos. It runs from Pennsylvania Route 309 in Hazleton to Pennsylvania Route 191 in Paradise Valley. Large segments of PA 940 are located in densely forested areas....
.
Museums and cultural organizations
- Eckley Miners' Village
Eckley Miners' Village in eastern Pennsylvania is an anthracite coal mining patch town located near Hazleton, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Since 1970, Eckley has been owned and operated as a museum by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.-Early years:Before the...
- The Greater Hazleton Historical Society and Museum- http://hazletonmuseum.org/
- The Hazleton Area Public Library
Annual festivals
Hazleton's annual street festival, Funfest, is celebrated usually during the second weekend of September. The festival includes a craft show, a car show, entertainment from local bands, and many games of chance. The Funfest parade is held on Sunday during the Funfest weekend. First Night Hazleton's annual New Years Party. Valley Day is celebrated in Conyngham during the summer. Many church festivals, including the Festival of the Madonna del Monte at Most Precious Blood in Hazleton, is celebrated to preserve the Italian heritage of Hazleton. This is honored by carrying candle houses (cintis) by men up and down the streets of the eastern side of town, from Most Precious Blood to the Key Club, which is located on Monges Street.
Parks
- Altmiller Playground
- Hazle Township Community Park & Soccer Fields
- Eagle Rock Resort
- Edgewood In The Pines Golf Course
- Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails
- Hickory Run State Park
Hickory Run State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Kidder and Penn Forest Townships in Carbon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is spread across the Pocono Mountains...
- Lehigh Gorge State Park
Lehigh Gorge State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Luzerne and Carbon Counties, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park encompasses the Lehigh Gorge, which stretches along the Lehigh River from a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control dam in Luzerne County to Jim Thorpe in Carbon County...
- Paragon Off-Road Adventure Park
- Valley Country Club Golf Course
- Whitewater Challenge, in Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 4,804 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carbon County. The town has been called the "Switzerland of America" due to the picturesque scenery, mountainous location, and architecture; as well as the "Gateway to...
Sports
Hazleton was a long-time home to minor baseball. On April 14, 1934, the
Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
entered into an affiliation agreement with the
New York-Penn LeagueThe New York-Pennsylvania League of 1923 through 1937 was an American minor league baseball circuit.The forerunner to the modern Class AA Eastern League, it was a Class B circuit through 1932 and upgraded to Class A for the final five seasons of its existence. It is actually the second of three...
Hazleton Mountaineers. This was the first ever minor league affiliation for the Phillies. The last minor-league club to play in Hazleton was the Hazleton Dodgers in 1950, a Brooklyn Dodgers farm-club which played in the Class D
North Atlantic LeagueThe North Atlantic League was the name of two minor baseball leagues. The first was a Class D affiliated system that operated from 1946 until 1950, and the second was an independent minor league that played from 1995 until 1996...
.
Landmarks and historic locations
- Eckley Miners' Village
Eckley Miners' Village in eastern Pennsylvania is an anthracite coal mining patch town located near Hazleton, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Since 1970, Eckley has been owned and operated as a museum by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.-Early years:Before the...
, Eckley, PA
- Hazleton Elementary Middle School (formerly Hazleton Senior High School)
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Tyrolean Roman Catholic Church, the only Tyrolean church in the United States (now closed)
- Saint Gabriel The Archangel Roman Catholic Church, 122 South Wyoming Street
- Saint Joseph Slovak Roman Catholic Church, 601 North Laurel Street, the first Slovak Roman Catholic church established in the Western Hemisphere
- Saint Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church, Freeland, PA, the mother parish of Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholic Churches in the United States
- The Altamont Hotel
- The Duplan Silk Building
- The Hazleton Cemetery (the Vine Street Cemetery)
- The Hazleton National Bank
- The Markle Building, tallest building in Hazleton
- The Traders Bank Building
- The march of the Lattimer Massacre
The Lattimer massacre was the violent deaths of 19 unarmed striking immigrant anthracite coal miners at the Lattimer mine near Hazleton, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 1897. The miners, mostly of Polish, Slovak, Lithuanian and German ethnicity, were shot and killed by a Luzerne County sheriff's...
, which began at State Route 924 near Harwood
- The site of the Lattimer Massacre
The Lattimer massacre was the violent deaths of 19 unarmed striking immigrant anthracite coal miners at the Lattimer mine near Hazleton, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 1897. The miners, mostly of Polish, Slovak, Lithuanian and German ethnicity, were shot and killed by a Luzerne County sheriff's...
in Hazle Township
Sister cities
Hazleton has several
sister citiesTwin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
. They are: -
Gorzow WielkopolskiGorzów Wielkopolski is a city in western Poland, on the Warta river. It is the biggest city in the Lubusz Voivodeship with 125,149 inhabitants...
, Lubuskie,
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
- Mountain Communities of Lambro and Mingardo,
CampaniaCampania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- see link for name places in the USA
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze8isfi/hazleton.html
External links